Keeping Up with the King's Council: Special 'Coup' Edition, Part One

Before their final Council meeting, many House Presidents reminisced about their coup and how they felt going into their first meeting. Excitement was evident as the new successors shuffled into the room.

Student Body President Kat Thompson, also feeling nostalgic, picked up the gavel and said, “I now call this meeting to order ... for the last time.”

SBP Thompson started the meeting by thanking the Council, which turned out to be one of many thank yous in this meeting. Thompson then informed House Presidents that the new shelves for House storage will be ready to use after Easter weekend. “I never thought the end of my Presidency would end in the installment of shelves,” she said with a chuckle.

Director of Communications Helen Healey reminded House Presidents that she is looking for memories and pictures for Spring Formal and she told the Council, “Great year everybody, good job.” Director of Finance Megan Starnes said a quick plug about the mandatory finance training for new presidents. Director of Student Organizations Christina Markakis announced to the Council that she is finished with audits and will speak with new DoSO Nick Beckman to figure out the most effective way to share all the organizations’ highlights. Also, TKC Students for Life, a pro-life organization, will be presenting next week in hopes of becoming an official student organization. Director of Student Events Michelle Lindhardt urged the Council to buy tickets for Spring Formal and encourage others to do so as well. Lindhardt emphasized that alcohol will by no means be allowed at this event. The entire event will be shut down if anyone brings any alcohol and people will be kicked out if visibly drunk. Director of Spiritual Life Michael Martinez thanked the Council and said he had a great time serving from his current chair at the table, and was very eager to move to the SBP chair.

The Council then began their Interregnum debrief, the final debrief and agenda item for this Council. SBP Thompson reminded everyone, “This is not the time for everyone’s personal complaints,” and to make sure all suggestions are action-oriented.

Strengths that were mentioned were the five minute practice for Performing Arts, allowing only five rooms in the City Room at a time for Performing Arts, and that the Interregnum Committee did an excellent job at posting debate motions and classroom numbers on social media.

Weaknesses that were discussed were having larger houses, such as the House of Truth, crammed into small classrooms, some of the debate motions seemed to be “lopsided” and that perhaps Performing Arts is too similar to the Drama Competition that happens in the Fall. Several House Presidents agreed that having incoming freshmen, or as Presidents called them “babies,” attending Interregnum was difficult because no one has time to spend with the new students. An opportunity to solve this problem would be to assign specific people in the House to hangout with the “babies” so that it does not fall on the exec team or anyone who is competing in Interregnum. President of Barton Ali Zieminski told a concerning story about when she accidentally lost three new students in Battery Park, and that perhaps the school should get them a hotel room since it is difficult to find students who are willing to house students during the competition week. Thompson said she would run this “up the chain” and speak with Student Development about this issue. Thompson brought up another opportunity and said that maybe the debate competition should have student or alumni judges since it can be challenging to find faculty that are willing to give up that much of their time.

A potential threat for Interregnum brought up by Lewis President Stuart Clay is that the changing of the semi-final debate motion might have set the precedent that it is possible to change the debate motions whenever. QE1 President Jessica Matthews informed the Council that NYCJ semester students could not attend hardly any competitions because they had to go to their internships during the day, and still had their usual three-hour class every night. It was not clear that they were not required to attend Interregnum, and many of them would have loved to attend if they were able.

After the debrief, almost-lame-duck SBP Thompson went around the table and thanked and spoke kindly of each person on the Council. Spectators and Council members snapped their fingers after each thank you.

Then, the official Coup began. SBP Thompson then swore in her successor, Michael Martinez. SBP Martinez recited the TKC Council oath, and then swore in his new Cabinet members and House Presidents. The oath each member recited included their responsibility to uphold and defend the Honor Code, faithfully execute the duties of their role, and guard their spiritual growth from temptation. The successors sat at the Council table with their predecessors hands on their shoulders. Going around the table, each predecessor prayed for their new successor.

As SBP Michael Martinez called his first Council meeting to order, the old Council left for dinner at Chipotle.